Atheism and communism - Think Atheist2018-03-20T02:31:46Zhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/forum/topics/atheism-and-communism?commentId=1982180%3AComment%3A1263739&xg_source=activity&feed=yes&xn_auth=noNot all communists follow Kar…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-06-06:1982180:Comment:13233782013-06-06T12:30:14.923ZGary Clousehttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/GaryClouse
<p>Not all communists follow Karl Marx's philosophy.</p>
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<p>Marx understood that religious institutions could become the most corrupt, elitist and oppressive defacto governments, ruling through fear and superstition. Marx believed that banning religion would ban superstition.</p>
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<p> Christian apologists often argue a reflexive property applies. So they argue that Marx, the father of modern social communism, was an atheist, therefore communism = atheism and atheism =…</p>
<p>Not all communists follow Karl Marx's philosophy.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Marx understood that religious institutions could become the most corrupt, elitist and oppressive defacto governments, ruling through fear and superstition. Marx believed that banning religion would ban superstition.</p>
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<p> Christian apologists often argue a reflexive property applies. So they argue that Marx, the father of modern social communism, was an atheist, therefore communism = atheism and atheism = communism. This is like claiming that since apples grow on trees, trees that don't grow apples are not trees.</p> Hi Keith, there was a couple…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-06-06:1982180:Comment:13232682013-06-06T07:08:21.133Zmatt.clerkehttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/mattclerke
<p>Hi Keith, there was a couple of quotes from the recent Olympics... when the American's won a gold medal, they would thank God or Jesus... when the North Korean's won a gold medal, they thanked their glorious leader.</p>
<p>What level of brain washing would induce that? Religious indoctrination. The North Korean heads of state abolished existing religion to replace it with a religion idolising the leader.</p>
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<p>Furthermore, neither atheism now communism state in their ideologies (or…</p>
<p>Hi Keith, there was a couple of quotes from the recent Olympics... when the American's won a gold medal, they would thank God or Jesus... when the North Korean's won a gold medal, they thanked their glorious leader.</p>
<p>What level of brain washing would induce that? Religious indoctrination. The North Korean heads of state abolished existing religion to replace it with a religion idolising the leader.</p>
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<p>Furthermore, neither atheism now communism state in their ideologies (or lack thereof) anything about the other.</p> Well said.tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-06-05:1982180:Comment:13230482013-06-05T09:52:38.908ZRon Humphreyhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/RonHumphrey
<p>Well said.</p>
<p>Well said.</p> Communism, capitalism and soc…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-06-04:1982180:Comment:13225492013-06-04T12:35:51.325ZGary Clousehttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/GaryClouse
<p>Communism, capitalism and socialism are economic models defined by ownership..</p>
<p>Under communism, resources that are important to the community well being are owned by the community, maintained by the community and shared by the community, often in a not for profit mode.</p>
<p>Communism is not anti business. Business models based in communist theory include Co-ops, Credit unions, mutual insurance companies and volunteer fire brigades</p>
<p>Communism is not anti religion. In fact, many…</p>
<p>Communism, capitalism and socialism are economic models defined by ownership..</p>
<p>Under communism, resources that are important to the community well being are owned by the community, maintained by the community and shared by the community, often in a not for profit mode.</p>
<p>Communism is not anti business. Business models based in communist theory include Co-ops, Credit unions, mutual insurance companies and volunteer fire brigades</p>
<p>Communism is not anti religion. In fact, many Christian communities are based on communist principles. The Amish and Mennonite communities in the US and many of the kibbutzim in Israel value the collectivism and cooperative effort fundamental to communism.</p>
<p>Communism does not scale to a national level. This is due to cultural fragmentation. Most so-called communist national governments are based on Marxism, a philosophy that using heavy handed methods to minimize and subdue regional differences through mandated uniformity. Marxism forbids religion, as it recognizes religious institutions as competing governmental systems.</p>
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<p> Most Marxist governments arise in nations with a large agrarian population</p> is the communism in North Kor…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-02-24:1982180:Comment:12639562013-02-24T22:06:02.445Zmatt.clerkehttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/mattclerke
<blockquote><p>is the communism in North Korea promoted due to some other reason?</p>
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<p>North Korea is commonly associated with being bad. If North Korea were an Atheist bastian of rationality and reason, it wouldn't be mentioned at all imo.</p>
<blockquote><p>is the communism in North Korea promoted due to some other reason?</p>
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<p>North Korea is commonly associated with being bad. If North Korea were an Atheist bastian of rationality and reason, it wouldn't be mentioned at all imo.</p> From Bitter Legacy: Ideology…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-02-24:1982180:Comment:12641302013-02-24T20:42:27.993ZArcushttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Arcus
<p>From <span style="font-size: 13px;">Bitter Legacy: Ideology and Politics in the Arab World </span><span style="font-size: 13px;">(p. 60): "Aflaq's thought dominated the Ba'at party" and "[he] insist[ed] on the overthrow of the ruling class and socialism as the pillars of the new nationalism." Pan-arab socialism is certainly a different flavor than Russian or Chinese, but it's closer to those than fascism in ideology (though perhaps not in policy, i don't really know).…</span></p>
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<p>From <span style="font-size: 13px;">Bitter Legacy: Ideology and Politics in the Arab World </span><span style="font-size: 13px;">(p. 60): "Aflaq's thought dominated the Ba'at party" and "[he] insist[ed] on the overthrow of the ruling class and socialism as the pillars of the new nationalism." Pan-arab socialism is certainly a different flavor than Russian or Chinese, but it's closer to those than fascism in ideology (though perhaps not in policy, i don't really know).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">While they did collaborate with the Nazis, it was due to anti-colonialism aimed against the French and British, as well as a rejection of Soviet-style internationalist Marxism. Saddam was a tyrant and not particularly ideological. </span></p> +1tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-02-24:1982180:Comment:12640372013-02-24T19:47:56.963Z_Robert_http://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/RobertCampbell
<p>+1</p>
<p>+1</p> Thank you. Yes i would tend t…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-02-24:1982180:Comment:12640322013-02-24T19:16:50.188ZNerdy Keithhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/keith
<p>Thank you. Yes i would tend to agree with that. I actually recall an excellent interview with Dawkins where he basically defines communism and marxism as State Religions</p>
<p>Thank you. Yes i would tend to agree with that. I actually recall an excellent interview with Dawkins where he basically defines communism and marxism as State Religions</p> Of course Marxism is a philos…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-02-24:1982180:Comment:12639292013-02-24T16:20:03.272ZHopehttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/hope
<p>Of course Marxism is a philosophy!</p>
<p>I'm not saying that all Marxists are dogmatic people. The dogmatic person is the one who is very strongly adheres to a philosophical view!</p>
<p>Of course Marxism is a philosophy!</p>
<p>I'm not saying that all Marxists are dogmatic people. The dogmatic person is the one who is very strongly adheres to a philosophical view!</p> I'm sure most of us have run…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-02-24:1982180:Comment:12640112013-02-24T14:40:34.253ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>I'm sure most of us have run into theists or New Age types who see a belief in using logic and scientific methods as following a dogma. A dogma that nothing is worthy of belief unless it is logical and can be scientifically proven.</p>
<p>This raises the question of whether dogma is bad <em>per se</em> or does it depend upon what dogmas you believe? </p>
<p>I'm sure most of us have run into theists or New Age types who see a belief in using logic and scientific methods as following a dogma. A dogma that nothing is worthy of belief unless it is logical and can be scientifically proven.</p>
<p>This raises the question of whether dogma is bad <em>per se</em> or does it depend upon what dogmas you believe? </p>